National Grid, NYSEG to evaluate power plants

The New York State Public Service Commission is directing National Grid and New York State Electric & Gas to work with power generation owners to evaluate repowering two power plants, in Chautauqua and Tompkins counties.

A coal-fired Dunkirk generating station consists of four units, while the Cayuga facility in Lansing consists of two coal-fired units. “The closing of the power plants could cause reliability concerns,” the PSC said.

The PSC said the companies will “examine the relative costs and benefits of repowering the plants at their existing sites compared to alternative transmission upgrades over the long term.”

A coalition called “PowerUp Western New York” sent more than 4,000 signatures to Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the New York Energy Highway Task Force supporting the repowering of the Dunkirk power plant.